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well, maybe you should look in Daito-ryu as that is what Ueshiba taught for a considerable time.

I would love to. However looking at modern Daito-ryu is like looking at modern Aikido. We would have to look at early Daito ryu to see if it was part of the early syllabus. What is the earliest written account of Daito Ryu technique? From what I've read of accounts of those who worked on Budo Renshuu, the techniques found in that book are very similar to the Hiden Mokuroku scroll Ueshiba had. If that scroll has been put into print, I would LOVE to see it.

I think, considering the material Aikido addresses, that morote dori is an essential part of our study.

However, it seems that early on it wasn't practiced as part of regular Aikido/Aiki Budo training. I was just wondering when that came about, and why. If it was a part of regular Daito ryu training, why did Ueshiba leave it out of early Kobukan training? If it wasn't a part of Daito ryu training, when did it become a part of Aikido training? Why did Ueshiba leave the attack out of "Budo"?

These are the questions I have. Not really about the validity of morote dori as an attack. I think morote dori- in many different forms, is essential to Aikido training.

wonder if it has something to do with law enforcement restraint approach, i.e. two LEOs restraint an unruly samurai or some such. if it is, the wouldn't that make the practice to counter LEO?

Phi and others,

For what it's worth, my understanding of the reasoning behind Hakkoryu's teaching of defense against morote (two hands on one) is precisely the above, though not specifically against law enforcement folks. Morote may have been an immediate attempt by one person to prevent one from reaching for a tanto or wakizashi, or may be an arresting technique used by two people. Hand-me-down techniques from pre-Meiji times?

Another reason I feel the morote attack would only happen in last-ditch scenarios such as these is because we're taught to strike whenever a hand is free; meaning it would generally be unwise to seize a person's arm with both hands unless they had already (or were about to) draw a weapon.

Devon

P.S. Phi, you may be more correct than you know...in Hakkoryu's Shihan-gi we're taught to prevent efficient tying of our hands so as to make easier an escape later on.

Just a thought on my part, and I only have a few years of Aikido exposure, so keep that in mind when reading my stuff, cousins.

Perhaps one reason the morote attack isn't and wasn't taught much is that in executing a technique in response, it's largely redundant; at least in our curriculum, it is quite often.

In Hakkoryu basics we're taught to ignore the second hand and respond as if a single hand is available. Of course, having access to both of the aggressor's hands more than doubles the number of responses available, plus atemi with the free hand is a plus, be it an "eye closer" (目潰) or a hit on meridians before the execution of the response.

Maybe the redundancy is also reason this particular attack isn't a focus in Aikido, just a thought!